Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Determination

 Drake with a new fiery determination in his eyes walked further into the forest, actively looking for monsters now. Dumping the free points he had into his Intelligence raising it to 93 his now highest stat next to Vitality at 91. His new goal was to become strong enough to unilaterally win against anything he came across now with overwhelming force. Or at least that was his plan.

Goals were goals because you had to work towards them. And Drake knew that first hand from his own endeavors from prior to the tutorial. He had to put in the work to see the results. In the moment of seeing Bear destroy the Warrior Ape it had ignited a desire to work harder and more desperately than before.

It was finally sinking in that he was falling slowly behind the curve. He had suspected as much after meeting the Warrior Vampiric Ape but Bear had confirmed it after he had handled the one at the fire with ease. Where he had struggled in a life and death fight against one. That there were even stronger monsters in this seemingly never ending forest, and that they were apparently getting stronger every passing day. It had only been a day and a half since coming here but the increase in the monster's strength was already overtaking him, proving his leveling speed either wasn’t that fast or that the tutorial wanted people to form groups so they could overcome these obstacles. As to which one it was, he had no idea at the moment.

Drake looked around as he continued to search the forest for monsters, as he wished he had the prowess he had in his old games here.

If it was anything like those games I would already be well past the first job change by now… He thought, sulking. His friends from those days were probably already well past him as well, he was always able to keep up with them, but he couldn't imagine they would be in the same poor situation he was.

Drake shook his head, it wasn’t any time to think about others right now. He had to improve, he obviously wasn’t working hard enough. Drake looked again at the quests on the side of his vision.

 

[Subjugation Quest. 11 of 20 Vampiric Apes]

[Subjugation Quest. 1 of 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes]

 

His first milestone would be to finish these quests, and get as close to level 10 as he could. Counting the amount of experience he was gathering for each level, it looked like each level roughly took twice of the previous to complete. So he should be a sliver away from level 7 and with just the monsters required to finish the quest he should be able to get over the level 10 hump and more, not even counting the experience rewards.

Drake gripped his hands around his staff. He could do this. 

Mama ain’t raise no bitch! He shouted internally, trying to hype himself up.

He eventually came into a small clearing where he heard the sounds of grunting and tearing. Drake took a peek from behind a tree to see what he was working with.

And in the center of the clearing there was an encirclement of four Vampiric Apes. All tearing into something. Drake looked around trying to spot if there was the bigger variety of the Apes anywhere in sight. Lucky for him there wasn’t.

Good they’re distracted and just in range for me. If I can chant fast enough I can bring them all down before they reach me. He planned out in his head.

Slipping out from behind the tree Drake casted his Mana Bolts in rapid succession, speaking as fast as an auctioneer in a heated bid. The spell fired out four times, one for each Ape.

The Bolts found the mark of only two of the Apes. Drake’s aim was slightly off, and only hit one in the arm and missed one entirely. The Vampiric Apes were surprised by the sudden attack while they were busy, looking at their fallen brethren but quickly recovered. Both of the remaining Apes charged for Drake, the one that was hit slowly followed behind the other gripping at its arm but roaring just as furiously.

Drake cursed and swiftly dropped to one knee to steady his aim, not wanting to miss again at the quickly closing Apes. He was able to fire off two more Bolts before they had reached him. His first shot was precise enough to hit the B-lining first Ape of the two right in the head, killing it instantly. The second bolt again missed the injured one running behind the first.

It jumped over the corpse of the Ape ahead of it furiously running at Drake in a mad dash. Drake didn’t have time to cast another spell, so he pulled back his staff in a batting swing motion. And when the Ape jumped to lunge at him he ripped the staff through the air, clubbing the Ape to the side.

The Ape was momentarily stunned from the blow, shaking its head while on its side still on the ground. It looked up at the now towering Drake over it, his staff in hand glowing from the light of the spell. Drake unceremoniously fired the Mana Bolt through the Vampiric Ape’s head, its body slumping to the ground.

Drake breathed out loudly, looking over the carnage he had just produced. He waited a moment to see if any loot had spawned, and was disappointed to see that only two of the four had spawned stones. He walked over to grab them but stopped as he got close to the corpses.

Drake was now close enough to see what the Apes had been tearing at. The mangled body of a person laid on the ground in a pool of blood and viscera, the person’s face still frozen in an expression of terror.

Drake looked at the body with sympathy, but his mind slowly moved to other thoughts. Thinking that could have easily been him. He had just been lucky enough so far to get by the skin of his teeth. Drake held back his nausea as best he could. This was the first body of a person he had ever seen. He hadn’t known this person but he began digging with the end of his staff in the ground. This person at least deserved this modicum of decency, and not be left to rot in the open.

Drake was continuing to slowly dig the hole for the person, when he heard a rumble come from outside the outcropping. He was already well acquainted with the shaking of the ground, and hopped out of the makeshift hole and made a break for the opposite treeline.

He managed to make it behind a tree when a Warrior Vampiric Ape walked out of the treeline, with two Vampiric Apes in tow. The Warrior casually walked over to the person’s body, giving it a sniff and picking it up.

Drake shuttered in anger, his hands going white around his staff.

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The Warrior gave a wide toothy grin at the body, the two Vampiric Apes jumping up and down in elation. The Warrior then tossed it in front of the other Apes as they began to tear into the body like the Apes from before.

Something snapped inside Drake as he watched the events. He didn’t know the person but he somehow identified with the corpse, seeing it as a result that could have been him, that may even be him, if he didn’t work harder and get stronger. If he didn’t achieve his goals.

Drake saw what was happening as an injustice, why should these filthy animals get away with desecrating that corpse. No. With doing that to HIM. He wouldn’t allow it, he wouldn’t allow these THINGS to do it.

Flashes of him being escorted out of his place of work, his so-called friends berating him for things he hadn’t done, those same people coming back to him only to ask for money and status.

Drake began to breathe heavily, in seething fury. Then suddenly he felt cold, the anger he felt abruptly leaving him. The ferocity inside of him burned so hot for a moment only to freeze over with cold realization of reality. This world actually wasn’t that different from his old one. The strong and powerful got to make the rules, The privileged got to say and get away with whatever they wished. The law of the jungle. It had always been present, just under a different veil.

And that was true here as well. The person the Vampiric Apes were eating was just weak. He was just weak. And he had to get stronger, become the dominator. Just like he said, but now it was made finite in his soul, not just something he was saying or wistfully decided. 

This had to happen, he had to prove it. 

He was going to prove it.

Drake stepped out from behind the tree, and rapidly chanted four Bolts just like before, aiming for the Warrior Ape. The Bolts all hit this time, striking the beast in its armored back.

The Ape wailed in pain as it reached at the impacts on its back, the other two Vampiric Apes jumping into action, charging right at Drake.

Drake dropped to one knee again, and fired two precise Mana Bolts at the charging Apes. But this time after firing he charged forward, running at a pace where his lungs and legs screamed in contention.

The two Vampiric Apes slumped to the ground as the Bolts passed right through their chests, his nearly 100 Intelligence showing its strength. Him not having to hit head’s anymore to instantly kill the smaller monsters.

Drake continued to run past the fallen corpses on his way to the roaring Warrior Ape. It now recovered from the pain of the previous Mana Bolts. It stared at Drake now with irate animalistic fury, its club raised high into the air ready to be brought down on the charging Drake.

Drake didn’t back down though and lunged at the Warrior Ape with all his speed, its club coming down with power enough to crush Drake easily.

But Drake wasn’t aiming to ram into the monster, he lunged for the opening between the massive Ape, slipping right between its legs. Turning mid jump to face the back of the Warrior Ape, Drake chanted his spell, shooting another bolt straight into the back of the Warrior Ape. 

Drake quickly got to his feet but wasn’t fast enough to duck back in time to dodge the Warrior Ape’s large club sweeping vertically as it turned around. Swatting Drake across the open clearing, bouncing several times from the force of the blow.

The Ape shouted and raised its arms in triumph, hooting at its victory.

“Dumbass Monkey.” Drake coughed, as he wearily got up, blood dripping from his head and mouth. One of his arms dangling limply. “You gave me just enough distance to cast enough to kill you. Congratulations, you played yourself.” He smiled through the pain, one eye closed in a grimace.

The Warrior Ape abruptly stopped and immediately charged at the standing Drake, its eyes widening in fear as it saw his staff glow with power knowing the end was coming and it couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt! Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!!! Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!!!! Manifest my power, MANA BOLT!!!!!” Drake screamed in quick succession at the stampeding monster.

The monster didn’t stop charging, it had no other choice but to get to Drake as fast as possible. It ran forward, each step met with a Mana Bolt hitting it.

One struck it in its open shoulder, another taking a chunk out of its neck. But it was still determined to reach Drake, another step, another Bolt slammed into its large frame. 

By the time the Warrior Ape had reached Drake it had slowed to a limp and slumped to the ground in front of him. Filled with holes from the barrage of bolts.

Drake placed his foot on the head of the Warrior, throwing his working arm into the air, striking a victory pose and yelled with a guttural roar of triumph.

Drake’s eyes scanned the clearing looking for anything else that might have heard and come to check on the battle, but his eyes stopped as it fell on the mangled corpse of the person. He put his hand down. He didn’t have a line to say this time, no joke, nothing.

Drake limped over to the hole, not even bothering to check his notifications, or for loot. And wordlessly dug. He had won this fight. But the journey was far from over.

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